A Scottish Opinion From America

Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! Kettle Corn Popcorn

Snacking is part of most people’s lives, mine included. I do my best to be calorie conscious, though, as I certainly have a few extra pounds that I am carrying around! It’s hard to find something that is both satiating and low enough in calories that it doesn’t destroy the good work of all the other food choices made that day. I was surprised to find that a bag of popcorn was a solution to this never-ending quest.

Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! Kettle Corn Popcorn is a delicious, relatively healthy snack. It has a pleasant sweetness, complete with a satisfying crunch that you’re seeking when you reach for kettle corn. It microwaves perfectly and stays warm in its little bag. All this and your substantial portion is only 100 calories!

Popcorn is a classic snack, but one that I tended to overlook in place of chips, cookies, or cereal. It has been a welcome addition to my sin food rotation. Let’s look a little closer at why this particular product impressed me.

How Did I Find This Popcorn?

I go through phases, which means for several weeks or months at a time, I am 100% into something before I get bored with it. Then, something else monopolizes my time. My phase right now is popcorn.

It started several months ago when I went to see the movie, 1917. I’d asked my roommate to pick me up some kettle corn from the store, as I dislike the butter corn that they sell at the theater with an excessive level of passion. She got me some pre-popped corn, and I devoured most of it during that movie. From that moment, I was hooked on kettle corn!

I devoured two more bags of this pre-popped popcorn in just a week, which wasn’t exactly conducive to the health goals I had set for myself. I would have eaten more, too, if it had been in the house. I’m moderately grateful that my roommate only bought those two bags. To keep me alive, I went for several days subsisting on forgotten expiring snacks that lingered at the back of the pantry. A trip for some more popcorn was needed. Stat.

At my local grocery store, I took to the aisle in a fit of excitement to buy my latest bag of pre-popped kettle corn. I was honestly skipping, that’s how much those popped kernels excite me. I lifted the bag and read the nutritional information. These bags of popcorn I was consuming had at least three portions in them. My fitness goals spoke to me, and I reconsidered the purchase. So, I turned to the microwave selection to see if there was something better.

It was like a hallelujah moment when I saw this green box on the top shelf. Kettle corn. 100 calories. Twelve bags per box. On sale.

Sold.

There wasn’t a moment of consideration. I reached for it, marveled at its perfection for me and my lifestyle and adorned a goofy grin as I plopped it in my basket. I knew I had made a wise choice. All that concerned me now was how good would it taste?

The Proof Is In The Eating

One night, shortly after that, I had enough calories left in my daily budget to pop myself a bag. Greedily, I took the box out of the panty and unpackaged my portioned bag.

I’ve never had a single portion sized bag of popcorn before and will admit I thought it was so small that I’d end up heating another. I read the instructions and set it in my microwave for 90 seconds. I listened for the cessation of popping and stopped it after 80 seconds. The aforementioned tiny bag had now expanded into a marvelous plump!

I opened it up and was amazed to see beautiful popcorn waiting for me. There was far more eating in this 100 calories than I could have anticipated. Believing it was too good to be true, I imagined I’d wind up munching on something rather bland and with the consistency of moist marshmallow. How wrong I was.

A symphony of joy began to surround me as the revelation of its perfection overtook my consciousness. The popcorn had a crunch, complete with a hint of sweetness which satisfied my sugar craving with a moment of sin-free gratification.

I ate and ate, finally believing. Something can taste good, be plentiful, and not cost you pounds of weight gain in the process. When I finally finished the packet, I wasn’t left yearning for more, and I felt full and satisfied.

If you don’t care for kettle corn, don’t despair, they make a butter popcorn version. I can’t give any feedback on this, however. I find butter on popcorn akin to putting ketchup on a steak. Sinful. 😛 I would rationalize, however, that it too would have the same crunch with a sufficiently buttery taste.

Is It Worth Seeking Out The Smart Version?

I’ve noticed that during this COVID-19 pandemic that popcorn is scarce. Frequently, I have been in the snack aisle at the grocery store to find that their popcorn supplies have been thoroughly pillaged. As a result, I did contemplate purchasing the regular Orville Redenbacher’s kettle corn to tide me over. However, these were a whopping 240 calories per bag. I can’t justify consuming over double the calories for the same thing anymore!

The TL;DR of Why I Loved It, and Will Buy It Again:

· Tastes exceptional· A lot of popcorn per portion· Only 100 calories· Far healthier than other popcorn varieties

Final ThoughtsAnd CR Score: 4/5

If you’re looking for a great tasting, low-calorie, but satisfying snack, then I recommend Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! Kettle Korn Popcorn. I was giddy about it. I still am even months later. It’s tasty and relatively healthy! If it were only a little bit sweeter, I’d have given it a CR Score of 5. I can’t complain, though. There’s only so much delightfulness you can pack into 100 calories. 😛 Highly recommended.